- Title: Canada will only respond to concrete Trump trade policies - PM
- Date: 17th November 2016
- Summary: HAVANA, CUBA (NOVEMBER 16, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CUBAN AND CANADIAN FLAGS AT NEWS CONFERENCE TRUDEAU DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU, SAYING: "The fact is we are all of us committed to continuing to have strong constructive relations with the new American administration. The fact is we are going to work very much on a basis of responding to actual proposals and policies and positions they put forward and not respond to every speculation that tends to come out, our citizens expect us to work constructively together to advance in our interests and that is exactly what we are going to do and I certainly look forward to having an opportunity to chat with (Mexican) president Pena Nieto in the coming days." VARIOUS OF TRUDEAU AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU, SAYING: "As I have always said, I will work in a constructive way with whoever occupies the White House in the United States. It is clear there are many issues the United States and Canada agree on and where we will find common ground to work together, while there are always other issues we will have differences over. But we will work on these differences in a respectful way, the way this is anchored in our shared values and our shared focus on creating growth for the middle class. This is exactly what I will do and what the Canadians expect." VARIOUS OF TRUDEAU AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU, SAYING: "Obviously it was something that I very much would have like to have been able to sit down to Fidel, I had a wonderful meeting with him a number of years ago at my father's funeral, but it was not to be on this particular trip, but at the same time the meetings I had with the president (Raul Castro) on many many different occasions, his tremendous support and warmth, along with meetings with many other members of the Castro family, really for me underscores the ongoing friendship between Canada and Cuba that yes has strong roots on the past." VARIOUS OF TRUDEAU AT NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 2nd December 2016 01:30
- Keywords: Canada Cuba NAFTA Mexico United States Donald Trump trade
- Location: HAVANA, CUBA
- City: HAVANA, CUBA
- Country: Cuba
- Topics: Government/Politics,International Trade
- Reuters ID: LVA00158TZNT3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday (November 16) Canada would respond to concrete policy proposals that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump puts forward regarding renegotiating their trade rather than to theoretical ones.
Trudeau has come under fire from the Canadian opposition for saying last week he was open to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, the United States and Mexico, given Trump has threatened to scrap it.
But during a visit to Cuba, Trudeau said he will only consider concrete trade policies from US president-elect Donald Trump.
"The fact is we are all of us committed to continuing to have strong and constructive relations with the new American administration. The fact is we are going to work very much on a basis of responding to actual proposals and policies and positions they put forward and not respond to every speculation that tends to come out, our citizens expect us to work constructively together to advance in our interests and that is exactly what we are going to do and I certainly look forward to have and opportunity to chat with (Mexican) president Pena Nieto in the coming days," he said.
Trudeau has refused to be drawn out on whether Canada might form a common position with Mexico over the deal and is due to meet with President Enrique Pena Nieto where the issue will reportedly be discussed.
Trudeau said he will seek to find common ground with the North American states.
"As I have always said, I will work in a constructive way with whoever occupies the White House in the United States. It is clear there are many issues the United States and Canada agree on and where we will find common ground to work together, while there are always other issues we will have differences over. But we will work on these differences in a respectful way, the way this is anchored in our shared values and our shared focus on creating growth for the middle class. This is exactly what I will do and what the Canadians expect," he said.
This is Trudeau's first visit to Cuba as Prime Minister and is expected to pave the greater for greater economic ties between the two nations.
Although the Canadian leader met with President Raul Castro, he did not have a chance to see former leader Fidel Castro.
"Obviously it was something that I very much would have like to been able to sit down to Fidel, I had a wonderful meeting with him a number of years ago at my father's funeral, but it was not to be on this particular trip, but at the same time the meetings I had with the president (Raul Castro) on many many different occasions, his tremendous support and warm, along with meetings with many other members of the Castro family, really for me underscores the ongoing friendship between Canada and Cuba that yes has strong roots on the past," he said.
During his two-day trip to Cuba, Trudeau has vowed that Canada will maintain its strong relationship with Havana even if that puts it at odds with Trump.
Canada has long been one of Cuba's closest western allies, maintaining ties after its 1959 revolution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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